Process of uniting iron with other metals and elements



Patented Feb. 24, 1931 WILLIAM E. SMITH, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN PROCESS OFUNITING IRON WITH OTHER METALS AND ELEMENTS Ho Drawing.

This invention relates to a process of uniting iron with other metalsand elements, and has to do particularly with the process of combiningfinely divided metallic iron with Q other metals and elements under atemperature and pressure, but without melting of the Hon.

Heretofore in the combining of iron with other metals to form alloys, ithas been the practice to raise the temperature of the iron to itsmelting point and to form the alloy by combining or adding theparticular metal or metals or elements to the molten iron. The resultingalloys producedi-in the past have been of a very high quality, but thecost of production has been relatively high due to the steps andprocedure involved in raising the iron to amelting temperature, and thepouring into forms or molds while molten.

It is the object of the present invention to combine metals or elementswith the iron at a temperature less than the melting point of the ironwhereby to form a finished alloy without melting or forging of the iron.Another object of the invention has to do with the process ofassociating iron in finely divided or porous form with other metalsunder pressure and to maintain the combined elements under pressure attemperatures below the melting point of the iron whereby the metals soassociated become sintered and alloyed with the iron.

In carrying out my invention, I preferably utilize an iron which I termsponge iron, which is an iron produced by the separation of oxygen fromiron ore without melting. Sponge iron has been produced by manydifferent forms of apparatus and methods, and although a good quality ofsponge iron has been produced in many cases, the cost of the productionof the iron has been so prohibitive as to prevent its use on acommercial scale. Many improvements have been made along this linerecently, and it is the object of the present process to utilize suchsponge iron produced by the reduction of iron ore at relatively lowtemperatures. Therefore, in carrying out the present invention, Ipreferably utilize an iron ore of a porosity as produced in theseparation of oxygen from the iron Application filed February 5 1827.Serial No. 166,268.

ore by reduction withoutmelting. It will be understood, however, that aniron may be utihzed which has a porosity such as produced by theelectrolytic decomposition of iron. In other words,'1n carrying out myprocess, I preferably utilize an iron which is open in its atomic form,or what.might be called atomically divided. "Such sponge iron may beproduced by the method and apparatus disclosed in my co-pendingapplication, Serial No. 88,774, filed Feb. 17, 1926.

In carrying out my process, the finely divlded metallic iron isassociated with the particular metal or metals, or elements, in theportions desired in accordance with the qual- 6: ity and strength of thealloy desired. The llOIl and associated metals or elements are thenplaced under pressure-at a temperature which is suflicient to fusethealloy metal or metals, but at a temperature lower than the melting pointof the iron. By fusing it will be understood that the metal or elementto be combined with the iron is raised to either its melting or plasticstate which ordinarily should be consi erably below the fusing point ofiron, which is around 1530 C. The finely divided iron and other metalsor elements having been pressed together while in granular condition andbrought to the desired temperature, less than melting point of iron, themetals or elements of the lowermelting or fusing point will unite withthe sponge or finely divided iron to form an iron alloy which may becommercially used. The iron being in open or porous form, the metal oflower melting point will wet, impregnate and alloy with the porous ironwhereby, the iron will be evenly and completely saturated throughout bysuch metal or metals forming an alloy of same. By this process the ironis not raised to its melting point, and the resulting bars or otherforms of iron so alloyed are finely pressed into a compact mass thusentirely doing away with the melting or forging of the iron as has beenthe practice in the past. For example, if iron-tin or ironnickel alloysare to be formed, the spongeiron is combined with the correctproportions of tin or nickel and subjected to a temperature ofapproximately the fusing point of tin, or

nickel, as the case may be, which is much lower than the melting pointo'f'iron. The added element will unite with finely divided iron and themixture subjected to pressure whereby an iron alloy is formed in bond ofthe desired shape.

At the time of, combining the iron with non-ferrous metals, thenon-ferrous metals are preferably in a finely divided form, and areassociated with the iron and subjected to temperature and pressure togive the form density, such metals being subjected to unoxidizingtemperature at less than the melting point of the iron. .In the casewhere metals of about the same melting temperature as ironare to bealloyed with the iron, I prefer to conduct the uniting of the elementsunder reduction conditions in gases such as hydrogen or carbon-monoxide.

It will be understood that. in addition to the various metals. carbonmay be united with the sponge or finely divided iron by combining theiron and carbon under pressure and temperature. In this case some of thecarbon is combined inherently with the iron particles and some of thecarbon is held mechanically as a result of the pressure applied informing the desired shapes of the combined iron and carbon. It will beobvious that by uniting the carbon with the reduced sponge iron, both byinherent combination and by holding the same mechanically, that theamount of carbon and particular density of the carbon at any particularpoint or part of the compressed bar or form may be easily predetermined,and that many available articles may be thus produced. The particulararticles which may be" formed by such process and particular mannerofformin'g the same, is unimportant as far as the present invention isconcerned, as such articles and manner of forming the same will form thepart of a separate application.

It will also be understood that having once procured the sponge ironthat any convenient retort and apparatus may be utilized for bringingthe metal or element to be alloyed with the iron up to the proper fusingtemperature and-for effecting compression and pressing of the mixtureand alloy of the desired shapes. It will be obvious that there will betimes when the iron alloy at relatively low temperatures should be insome preferred state of temperature for final compressing. Whatevershape may be desired may be im- V pressed upon the iron alloy at thetime that the metal or other element is united with the iron. In otherwords, I have made it possible to form an iron alloy from a finelydivided metallic iron and other metal or element by simply effectingthe'uniting under pressure at a temperature lower than the melting pointof the iron and to simultaneously effect the formation of any desiredshape alloy at the time'that the metallic iron and other metal iron, topartly fuse or sinter the mass. When partially sintered or fused, and inthe general form desired, the whole mass is then brought up to thedesired temperature of alloying and subjected to pressure or squeezed inproper dies or forms so as to close in all Y the grains into a soliduniform mass. It will be understood that either the ter sponge iron orfinely divided metallic iron as used in the claims, is broad enough tocover any iron-having a porosity similar to that produced in theseparation of oxygen from iron ore without melting or aniron having aporosity similar to that produced by.

the electrolytic decomposition of iron.

What I claim is:

1. The process of forming iron alloys which consists in associatingfinely divided iron with the alloy elements while still comparativelycold, compressing the associated iron and alloy metals into the generaldesired form or forms, whereby to hold the same together by adhesion,subjecting said form or forms to a temperature less than the meltinpoint of the iron to partlyfuse the mass, brmging the partly fused massup to the desired temperature for alloying, and then alloying bysubectin the general form or forms to pressure where y to close in allthe grains into a solid I uniform mass of final shape or shapes. 2. Theprocess of forming iron alloys which consists in associating finelydivided iron with the alloy forming elements while still comparativelycold and compressing the same into the general desired form or forms,whereby to hold the same together only loosely by adhesion, subjectingsaid form or forms to the desired temperature for alloying, equal to thewetting temperature of all the alloy forming elements but less than themelting point of the iron, and then subjecting the general form or formsto pressure, while at alloying temperature, whereby to close in all thegrains into a solid uniform mass of final shape or shapes.

3. The process of forming iron alloys which consists in associatingfinely divided iron with the alloying elements while still comparativelycold, compressing the mixture into the general desired form or formswith onl sufficient pressure to hold the same toget er by adheslon,subjecting the mixture to an alloymg temperature greater than thewetting temperature of all of the said allo g metals or elements butless than the me ting temperature of the iron, and then subjecting themixture to pressure while at alloying temperature 5 whereby to close inall of the grains to form a final article.

4. The process of forming iron alloys which consists in combining finelydivided iron with a plurality of alloying elements, compressing saidmixture into a nerally desired form or forms with only su cient pressureto hold the form or forms together by adhesion, heating the form orforms to a temperature less than the melting temperature of the iron butsufiicient to partly fuse the mass, bringing the fused general form orforms to the desired temperature for alloying, greater than the wettingtemperature of all of said alloying elements, and then subjecting thegenera form or forms, while at substantially said alloying temperature,to pressure whereby to close in all the grains into a solid uniform massof final shape or shapes.

In testimony whereof I have aifixed my 25 signature.

WILLIAM H. SMITH.

